License-display apparatus.



E. E. FAHLER.

LICENSE DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

E. E. FAHLER.

LICENSE DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. I915.

A mm 1 "Y Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

QQ CZ.

w Ill JELIVIER E. FAHLER, F WHITTEN, IOWA.

LICENSE-DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed February 9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER E. FAHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitten, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in License-Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to a license display apparatus such as is commonly employed for holding license number plates of varying sizes and illuminating the same at night, and also when desired displaying a rear or signal light.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an illuminated display device which is simple of construction, strong, durable and inexpensive, neat in appearance, capable of being applied either as a front or rear sign, and which admits of the ready change of sign plates as occasion requires. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is of proper structural formation to secure strength and durability and at the same time to concentrate and reflect the light rays from the illuminating agent in the most effective manner.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a face View of a sign display device constructed in accordance with my invention, and as particularly adapted for use as a rear sign illuminat-or and signal; Fig. 2 is a central vertical front to rear section through the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section on the line-3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a similar view on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail section showing a modification.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide an illuminated sign casing l, which is in general of oblong rectangular form, and which is constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material. This casing consists of a back wall 2, bottom wall 3, end walls*& and a top wall 5, the front of the body portion of the casing being open, as shown at 6, and the body of said casing providing a main illuminating chamber 7 in which is disposed an electric lamp 8. This lamp 8 fits within a socket 9 extendin through a sleeve 10 on a vertically disposed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 7,010.

bracket 11 riveted or otherwise fastened to the center of the rear wall of the casing. This sleeve receives a closure cap 12 having openings for the passage of electric conductors and upon the removal of which access may be obtained to the parts of the lamp socket or base forming a permanent fixture of the casing.

The bracket 11 preferably consists of a casting having a horizontal forwardly eX- tending arm 14 extending under the bottom wall 3 of the casing and rigidly fastened thereto, and formed upon the lower portion of the bracket 11 is a U-shaped coupling number 15, the upper and lower arms of which are apertured to receive a hanger bracket 16 on the vehicle, which hanger bracket is adapted to be engaged by a set screw 17 to clamp the sign casing firmly in position.

The opening 6 in the front of the casing is I closed by a door which is formed by a licensenumber plate 18, which plate is suitably slotted to provide light openings which form the number of the license, the name or abbreviation of the State, the year of issue and other necessary matter. The light from the lamp 8 within the casing is adapted to shine through these slots, and preferably the plate is provided upon its inner face with a transparent sheet 19 of mica or other suitable material of a desired color, and which sheet is secured in position by side and end strips 20 forming an open rectangular retaining frame which is fastened to the sign plate and colored transparent sheet by means of rivets 'or other suitable fastenings 21.

Secured to the wall 3 and to partition plates 22 are bolts 23, having offset threaded free ends which pass through openings in the sign plate 18 and are provided with nuts 24 engaging the said threaded ends whereby the sign plate is removably fastened in position, allowing access to'the interior of the casing to be readily obtained and the sign plate to be removed and another substituted in its place whenever desired or required. Instead of the offset screws 28, brackets 25 may be secured to the interior of the casing and provided with threaded openings to receive screws 26 extending through the sign plate whereby the latter may be removably fastened in position, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the present instance, I have shown the device adapted also for use as a rear signal or tail lamp, and the plates 22 are shown as arranged on opposite sides of the transverse center of the casing and separating the chamber 7 from a superimposed chamber 27, which is illuminated through the space or opening 28 between the plates 22 by the rays from the lamp 8, which thus performs double service of illuminating both chambers. The chamber 27 is formed in a top compartment 29 which is approximately dome shaped in front elevation and is providedwith a bulls eye or visible lens 30, of a red or other color, through which the light from the chamber 27 shines to produce the desired signal at night. It will of course be understood that during the day the sign need not be illuminated, the subject matter showing plainly in daylight upon the plate 18.

.It will be observed that the casing is of maximum depth from front to rear at the center, 'the rear wall 2 being approximately straight at the center from the bottom 3 to a point just above the bracket 11 and below the partition plates 22, and that the casing diminishes in depth toward its .ends, the portions of the walls 2, as shown at 31, inclining divergently from the center toward the walls 4 at a desired angle. By this construction the interior of the chamber 7 is decreased in volume over one employing a straight back wall parallel with the casing front, :with the result that a comparatively small lamp may be used, as an illuminating agent, with great efficiency, while at the same time the strength of the casing is increased and the inclined sides of the back wall 2, which may be coated interiorly with any suitable kind of reflecting substance, act as a reflector having portions at such an angle as to reflect the rays forwardly at a diverging angle, thus concentrating them to the best advantage, as will be readily understood. The portions 82 of the extension of the wall 2 forming the rear wall of the chamber 27 are also inclined in the same manner as the portions 31, and in addition they are also sloped upwardly and forwardly, as indicated at 33, thus concentrating the rays of light from the lamp 8 so as to divergently direct the rays toward the bulls eye 30, with evident. advantages in economy of operation, since the lamp of comparatively low candle-power may be used with as much efliciency as higher powered lamps in sign casings wherein the light rays are not concentrated and reflected in the manner stated.

It will be observed that the partition plates 22, which extend from the front wall of the compartment 29 and abut at their end and rear edges against the walls 4 and 31, serve to reinforce and brace the said walls 4 and 31 and thus increase the strength of the lamp casing as a whole. The plates 22, furthermore, serve as supports for the bolts 21, thus allowing the parts to be combined and arranged and the displayed panel or sign to be supported in the manner hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that my invention provides a signal device for displaying a license plate, and also showing a signal which may be cheaply manufactured and sold and possess all of the other qualifications hereinbefore stated, with resultant economy of manufacture and light and current consumption.

\Vhile the structural features disclosed are preferred, slight modifications, falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claim, may be adopted without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A sign display device comprising a casing having top, front, back, bottom and end walls, said casing being open at its lower front portion, an apertured partition dividing the interior of the easing into upper and lower compartments, a lens mounted' in the front wall' of the casing for the emission of light rays from the upper compartment, a lamp mounted upon the rear wall of the casing within the lower compartment in line with the aperture in said partition, bolts carried by the bottom wall and partition, and a sign display panel deta-chably connected with said bolts and closing the opening at the front of the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. FAHLER.

Witnesses: Carl; E. THOMPSON, NORA FAHLER. 

